Monday, December 19, 2016

Face-to-Face

How many of you have received a call that started that
way?How many of you have called someone
and after “hello” said that line?

Or, how many of you:

Have received a text that started “Hey, just a
quick…”?

Have texted someone and used that line?

While at work, have sent or received an IM from
the person one aisle away?

…an email with a one-line question, from the
person that sits diagonal to you?

Sent / received a text from a family member in
the next room?

Whether in our personal lives,
and now, to some extent, our business lives, we have learned to “fast path” our
communications.There are times where I
am guilty of this.I have worked hard to
put away my electronic devices.I rarely
ever bring my phone to a meeting (unless there is an issue at home) - I no
longer answer every ding, sound effect or related “you’ve got mail”
indicators.I am striving at work to
answer emails at certain points in the day.By checking these types of communications whenever they pop up, we are
distracted from what our focus should be.In meetings, I know that when the phone is more interesting than the
meeting – it is over.

Of course, the corollary question
is have we lost the ability to communicate face-to-face?Are we learning from the millennials and our
own children?They spend a significant amount
of time on their devices.They can game
and communicate.They have free video
apps to see their friends.I remember
years ago, I walked into the living and there was my daughter was doing her
homework on her laptop.She was busy typing
on the computer and typing on her phone and there were at least three people in
tiny boxes on her laptop, no one was talking.They were, she explained to me, just hanging out.

The most extreme case of “my-cell-phone-is
more-important” syndrome was recently in the subway.She was in the hallway, underground, her
large suitcase tipped over on its back.In her hand was her cell phone talking to someone.The suitcase was large enough that she needed
two hands to put it right side up.She
did not stop talking on the phone, nor did she put it down (or in her pocket).Struggle as she did, the phone was most important.

With the holiday season upon
us, this is the time of year we generally spend with our family and
friends.A time of the year where we
should be living in the moment; to take in all of the sights, sounds and
excitement of our respective holidays.Let
us each make a commitment to put down our cell phones, turn off the ringers and
ignore the clarion call of our phones.Let us all live in the moment, spend time together and enjoy each other
face to face.